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US remains most targeted country for spam

Despite being the top spam producing country, the United States’ percentage of global spam decreased from 18.8 percent to 13.7 percent during the first quarter of 2011, according to a recent report by an internet security company.

The United Kingdom also decreased its spam count from 4.5 percent to 3.2 percent, moving from fifth to sixth on the list of top producing countries.

The proliferation of mobile platforms and social networking websites is increasing the amount of spam attacks, reiterating the need for proper security measures, the company stated.

“Although the U.S.A. and U.K. contribution to the global spam problem has decreased in percentage terms, it is essential for organizations not to become complacent," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at the company.

Asia dethroned Europe as the top producing continent for spam-relaying, accounting for 35.1 percent of global spam during the quarter. North America relayed 17.3 percent of spam, while South America relayed 12.4 percent.

Americans fear potential cyber threats and their worries have reached their highest levels since the WikiLeaks incident, a recent report by Unisys stated. According to the survey of more than 1,000 companies, more than half are fearful of viruses, spam and online shopping safety.